THE BLACK DUCK 279 



neck and under parts and the dark markings 

 finer and fainter here. Wings and feet as in 

 the male bird, save that the scapulars are of 

 the same tawny hue as the rest of the body. 

 Bill orange with a dusky patch on each side. 



In length the Mallard is from twenty-two to 

 twenty-four inches; in extent from thirty-two 

 to thirty-six inches, and of weight varying from 

 two and one-half to three and one-quarter 

 pounds. 



THE BLACK DUCK. DUSKY DUCK. 



(Anas obscura.) 



This is the duck of New England. To the 

 wildfowler of this section the Black Duck is all 

 that the mallard is to his western brother ; aye, 

 more than all, because he must be mallard, red- 

 head, canvasback, pintail and many another 

 western favorite rolled into one acute and re- 

 sourceful waterfowl. Mallard and Black Duck 

 are closely related, but inhabit an area of our 

 land apart from each other. They have ap- 

 parently divided the continent between them, 

 the Black Duck taking the northern and east- 

 ern range, leaving to the other the southern 



